Hi there,

Need some advice ... I already have Jack my 2 + 3 mths yr old ekky, I have had since he was 14 weeks old.
I have just got myself another ekky, just 3 months younger but he is bigger.
I have a question about chillies ... I have never given them to Jack and never thought that parrots could even eat these.
But the guy I just got this 2nd ekky from has said that this parrot loves fresh hot chillies. He has said that it was recommended by the vet.
I did read another post on here about giving their parrot some sort of chilli flavoured snack.
So is it ok to give parrots fresh hot chillies, does this make them go nuts or anything like that ? I dont want to set this new one off or my Jack.
Who else feeds theirs chillies or fresh hot chillies ?
Thanks

Birds love peppers, and love it HOT. In a treat mix I give River are some dried peppers. I also give him a variety of fresh peppers, mild and hot both.

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Hello!
i have given my Chili chilies and he likes eating them. I read somewhere that they dont get the same burning as we humans do. Red fresh chilies have a huge amount of vitaminA as well so its really good for them.

Ooh ok, will give some of this then. My new parrot apparently eats this and will see how Jack goes.
Thanks guys.

When My SI Eclectus Joaquin was still a baby Lupe my housemate fed him Jalapenos. Really? Yes...she fed the BABY PARROT JALAPENOS!! The only reason I found this out was when Joaquin crawled under my shirt and had his footies on my boob. Suddenly I felt my boob getting hot like it was burning. I took Joaquin out and saw his foodie was....green. I was confused and wondered why. I asked Lupe why was his foot green. "Oh I gave him some fresh Jalapenos" I just stared at her. Apparently in Mexico her grandmother had parrots and fed this to them so she thought it was okay. I asked the vet and she just laughed because I was having a fit about it.

I learned that it was okay to feed the parrots peppers, chillies any of that food group. Even the seeds are okay for them. I just need to wash the footie after they eat them so I don't get burned anymore. LOL

Noblemacaw

Definately wash your hands real well after you cut up jalapenos too! The last time I cut some up, I must not have washed everything off my hands, because I touched my face and it got mighty warm! lol Although I'm sure it wasn't nearly as bad as when a coworker told me her husband was cutting up really hot peppers, didn't wash his hands good, and went to the bathroom. That couldn't have been a pleasant experience! lol

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yep birds cant taste/feel the hot compouind in chillies ( i think its called Capacien?)
My Eccie LOVES them, particularly the game of ripping them open to find the seeds
they are really good as toys, sometimes i cut a little slin in them and fill them with a few bits of chopped almond, then tie them up again and clip in the cage for foraging. They grow really easily here in summer so thats a bonus!

Like so many other biological parts, parrots do not have the same taste buds as we do. And their tongues are different. They love chilies.

Thanks guys for all this info, will definitely be getting some chillies for my new parrot in the morning, unsure how Jack will go though.
Thanks.

It is called capsaicin, it is the active component of chili peppers. It is fine to feed to them, but just don't let them stick their tongue into your nose after they have eaten it. I am speaking from experience here.